Tobacco can elevator



Dec. 19, 1933. c. J. MaoALLER TOBACCO CAN ELEVATOR Filed Oct. 11, 1932 INVENTOR Corn elms J. MacAller BY 7%" &

ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES TOBACCO CAN ELEVATOR Cornelius J. MacAller, Derby, C0nn., assignor to Abraham H. Lavietes, Shelton, Conn.

Application October 11,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to elevators for the contents of containers of the type having a package or support for the material therein, and more particularly to a device adapted to be operated by the opening and closing of a cover lid, such as a common tobacco can.

One object of this invention is to provide a tobacco elevator of the above nature having a shelf for holding the package at successively increasing heights above the bottom of the container, in order to permit the contents to be easily removed from the upper part of the container as the tobacco is used up.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, and very eflicient and dependable in use.

' With these and other objects in view, there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing one form in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawing: 1

Fig. 1 shows a sectional view of a tobacco container of the conventional type, having the improved elevator installed therein.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the elevator mechanism as it appears when removed from the container.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the elevator mechanism as seen from the side opposite that of the view in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the shelf or support for the contents of the can, showing the means for slidably engaging with the main support.

The conventional tobacco can is relatively deep compared to its width and thickness and contains a package of tobacco. This package is supported upon the bottom of the container and its contents are removed from the upper end. After the upper portion of the contents has been used up. it is often difficult to remove the packed material from the lower portion of the container. The present invention overcomes the above and other disadvantages by the provision of a movable support for the contents of the can, which is adapted to be progressively raised as the cover of the container is repeatedly opened and closed.

Referring now to the drawing, in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 indicates a tobacco can or container of the conventional type, having a hinged lid or. cover 11.

1932. Serial No. 637,241

Within the can, in close proximity to one of the short sides, rests a vertical guide member- 12, having an elongated slot 13 extending through. the greater part of its length. The guide mem-- ber 12 is provided with a bent-over foot 14 adapted to rest upon, the bottom of the can, a serrated or toothed edge 15, two out-turned lugs 16 and 1'7 at the opposite ends of the slot 13, and a third out-turned lug 18 at the upper end of the guide member 12.

Support for the contents of the can is provided by a horizontal bracket or shelf 19 extending across the container and substantially filling the cross-section thereof. The shelf 19 has a vertical portion 20 engaging the guide member 12, and retained in sliding relationship therewith by two pairs of integrally formed offset lugs 21, passing through the slot 13 and adapted to lie behind the guide member 12.

In order to advance the shelf 19 progressively from the bottom to the top of the container; provision is made of a toothed rack 22 having ex tended ends 23 and 24 formed in rectangular section and adapted to move slidably, but not rotatably, in openings 'of corresponding outline formed in the lugs 16 and 18.. Engagement between the shelf 19 and the rack 22 is provided by an angular catch lug 25 formed upon the vertical portion 20 of the shelf 19 and extending through the slot 13 into relationship with the teeth of the rack 22. The rack 22, when free, is held at the uppermost limit of its travel against the lug 17 by a coil spring 26 surrounding the reduced lower portion 24 of said raclnsaid spring being slightly compressed between the lug 16 and a square washer'2'7 surrounding said reduced portion 24 and adapted to abut against a shoulder 22a formed at the junction of said reduced section 24 and the rack 22. The rack 22 is of such length that when the hinged lid 11 is open, the upper end 23 willproject above the top of the can a distance not less than the spacing of the teeth on the rack 22, and when the lid is manually closed, the rack will be depressed through this distance against the influence of the spring 25.

In order to retain the shelf 19 in its elevated position while the rack is being depressed, provision is made of a tooth engaging pawl or detent 28 angularly formed at the lower end of a looped section 28a, said section 28a being integral with or firmly secured to the upper part of the vertical portion 20 of the shelf 19. The detent 28, as most clearly shown in Fig. 3, passes through a cut-out section 20a, out of which one of V to engage between the teeth of the serrated edge formed upon the guide member 12.

Operation When the container 10 is newly filled, the shelf 19 will be positioned at the bottom of the can with the package or sack of tobacco or other material resting upon it. The hinged lid 11 being closed, the rack will be depressed to its low position. When the lid 11 is opened, the rack 22, under the influence of the spring 26, will be forced to its upper limit, and the catch lug will engage one of the teeth upon the rack 22, causing the shelf 19 to be carried upward one step along the guide member 12. When the lid 11 is again closed, the rack 22 will be again forced to its lower limit against the influence of the spring 26, but the shelf 19 will be prevented from following it down by the detent 28 which engages a tooth on the serrated edge 15. The lug 25 will thus be caused to disengage the first tooth with which it was associated, and, as the rack is again forced down, will engage the next tooth on the rack; and the mechanism will remain in this condition until the lid 11- is again opened, after which the operation described above will be repeated. Thus, it will be seen that as the lid is successively opened and closed, the contents of the can will be progressively elevated step-bystep and made readily accessible until the whole package is consumed.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention isnot to be limited to the specific disclosure, but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent is:

1. In a container having substantially vertical walls and open at the top, a guide member within said container, a shelf member slidably supported upon said guide member and adapted to support a package of material, a rack mounted to slide upon said guide member, means for causing said rack to be vertically reciprocated by opening and closing the lid of said container, a pawl on said shelf member adapted to have ratchet engagement with said rack, said guide member having a toothed side edge, and a pawl on said shelf member adapted to have ratchet engagement with said toothed edge.

2. In an assembly of the character described, a receptacle having an open top provided with a hinged cover and having within the body of the receptacle a false bottom movable toward the open top, a slide positioned interiorly of the body of the receptacle and having thereon a series of ratchet teeth, a cooperating tooth on the false bottom, said tooth and teeth being inclined to coact to raise the false bottom when the slide is raised and to permit of idle motion of the slide when the slide is depressed, and means for operatively connecting the slide to the cover 01f center of the pivot of said cover, whereby the cover is adapted to impart longitudinal movement to the slide when said cover is opened or closed.

3. In a container having substantially vertical Walls and. an open upper end for receiving a package shaped to fit said container, a lid hinged thereto, a shelf slidably supported within said container and adapted to support said package, a vertical rack arranged along one wall of the container and having its end projecting above the top of sid container and adapted to be depressed by the closing of said lid, a spring for returning said rack to its upper position when said lid is released, a rack-cooperating tooth on said shelf whereby said package will be progressively elevated by the opening and closing of the lid of said container, and means for pre venting the lowering of said shelf when said rack is depressed. v

4. In a container having substantially vertical walls and an open upper end for receiving a package shaped to fit said container, a lid hinged thereto, a shelf slidably supported within said container and a apted to support said package, a vertical ing-pressed rack arranged within said con and extending above the top thereof adapted to be depressed by the closing of said lid, said shelf having a tooth cooperating with said rack whereby said package will be progressively elevated by the opening and closing of the for preventhg id shelf from being depressed in position when said lid is being closed.

5. In a container having substantially vertical walls and an open upper end for receiving a package shaped to fit said container, a lid therefor, slida'ole support for said package having a tooth, a vertical rack located within said container along one wall thereof for engaging said tooth and extending above the top of said container and adapted to be depressed by the closing of said lid, a spring for pressing said rack upwardly, a spring adapted to elevate said support when said lid is opened, and means to retain said support in its successive elevated positions.

6. In an assembly of the character described, a receptacle having an open top provided with a hinged cover and having within the body of the receptacle a false bottom movable toward the open top, a spring pressed slide positioned interiorly of the body of the receptacle and having thereon a series of ratchet teeth, said slide extending above the top of said receptacle, a cooperating tooth on the false bottom, said tooth and teeth being adapted to coact to raise the false bottom when the slide is raised and to permit of idle motion of the slide when the slide is depressed, and means for operatively connecting the slide to the cover off center of the pivot of said cover, whereby the cover is adapted to impart longitudinal movement to the slide when said cover is opened or closed.

CORNELIUS J. MACALLER. 

